Quotes from 12/23

About 12-year-old Steven Su, in a wheelchair due to a birth injury, who has become a part of their Warrior family, Francis Maka said:
"He's a really nice kid. He's one of those purely innocent people. He comes into our locker room after (home) games, and it's always so nice to see him. He's always smiling. Everybody loves it when he comes around. He's our inspiration." (HA)

HA Note: "Ellie Reinebold, wife of defensive line coach Jeff Reinebold, is supervisor of the pediatric intensive care unit at the Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children. That's where she met Steven, who lived in the hospital for nine years. Steven lives with a family during the week, then spends the weekends with the Reinebolds. He calls them "Mom" and "Dad." They introduced him to the players, and bring him to every home game."

About going to the games and spending time with the players, Su said:
"I love it." (HA)

About how Su had few chances to leave the hospital before, Jeff Reinbold said:
"We provided an opportunity for him to get out. It's been really wonderful. It's been great for him, and it's been great for our family, too. He now has an extended family. Our players have really embraced him." (HA)

HA Note: "Ellie said Steven needs special medicine and treatment. Each game, Steven spends 30 minutes in the Aloha Stadium aid station."

About the help he gets from the Aloha Stadium aid station, Ellie said:
"The people in the aid station are awesome. They open their doors so we can be there for half an hour to do his thing. Then we go back out there for the game." (HA)

HA Note: "After the game, Jeff Reinebold brings Steven into the locker room to exchange high-fives with the players."

About how the players sang "Happy Birthday" to him after practice, Su said:
"That was nice." (HA)

About Su, Ellie said:
"He's an awesome kid. He brightens up everybody's day. He's touched so many lives in the community. He's such a bright light in everybody's life. He doesn't have a bad day. Every day is Christmas for Stevie." (HA)

About the Sony camcorder, Rustin Saole said:
"It's a real nice present. I'm surprised it's this small. You can fit it in your pocket." (HA)

HA Note: "In addition to the $338.50 in per diem and commemorative watch for qualifying for the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl, each Warrior also received an iTouch and a Sony Camcorder. The players will receive other gifts and another $338.50 when they arrive in New Orleans, site of the Bowl Championship Series game against Georgia."

About taking videos of Michael Lafaele's son, Saole said:
"He's the future." (HA)

After returning to the team yesterday after leaving for his grandmother's funeral, Siave Seti said:
"She was a strong lady. I guess it was her time. It was pretty sad." (HA)

HA Note: "Seti met the requirements to earn a bachelor's degree and participate in last week's graduation ceremony. After receiving a replica of his diploma, he went to the airport for the flight to Southern California."

About how his family didn't come to graduation due to the funeral, Seti said:
"My family wanted to come down (for the graduation), but I told them it would be better for them to stay back, and I'd meet them up in California." (HA)

About losing his father in 2000 and his best friend in 2006, Seti said:
"I've been losing a lot of people close to me." (HA)

Dedicating the bowl game to the people they have lost, Seti said:
"This bowl game is dedicated to all of them, including Vaughn's mom. A lot of people on the team have lost loved ones. This bowl game is for all of them." (HA)

About staying on the field the longest during the autograph session, Dan Kelly said:
"The way I look at it, some of them have been waiting since 2 a.m. The least I can do is give up my free time to sign some autographs. It's no big deal. They're fans, and I appreciate them when they're here, especially the last two games. An hour and a half, two hours, it doesn't matter." (HA)

HA Note: "Kelly said he feels sorry for Brennan, who is inundated with autograph requests. One day last week, Brennan signed autographs during several sessions totaling five hours. Brennan also missed breakfast Friday because he had to sign autographs."

Feeling sorry for Colt, Kelly said:
"If I do good, people want to talk to me. For Colt, regardless of what he does, he's going to get hammered with the questions and the requests." (HA)

About how he got autographs from Alexi Lalas and Tony Meola when he was young and a high-level soccer player, Kelly said:
"I know what it's like to get an autograph." (HA)

About how he understands how tiring the autograph requests can be, Kelly said:
"I know how it is to sign for so long you just want to go inside and take a nap. I understand all of that, and I applaud Colt for being as patient as he's been." (HA)

About the fans calling him the "Iceman", Kelly said:
"They can call me whatever they want. They're in control of what they say." (HA)


About how they will practice at the New Orleans Saints' practice facility, JJ said:
"I know they've got an indoor facility, a weight room, basically everything we need." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Also, Jones might prefer that Saints coaches and officials get a look at some of his pro prospects, rather than having prying eyes elsewhere getting a gander at the UH schemes. The Warriors will practice twice in the afternoon and twice in the morning before a New Year's Eve walk-through at the game site, the Louisiana Superdome. Jones said he did not choose the practice schedule, but also did not say he is displeased with it. The Saints' facility is in Metairie, about 8 1/2 miles from the team hotel. It is about a 20-minute drive. The Bulldogs will practice each day in the Superdome."


Praising how Le'Marcus Gibson used this medical hardship year well, strength and conditioning coach Mel deLaura said about the freshman safety:
"If everyone rehabs like that guy rehabs, we would have no problem with anyone getting better. He just does everything. If that's what hunger is, he's hungry." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Gibson said his goal is to be ready for a spring practice battle royale for starting safety spots that will include incumbents Desmond Thomas and Keao Monteilh and backups Dane Porlas and Erik Robinson. All will be seniors next year and all have proved their worth at various times this season. Also, Oregon transfer Jameel Dowling could be a factor."

About the competition at safety at spring practice, Gibson (who has been working out 2 and 3 times per day) said:
"It's going to be very competitive." (HSB)

About how he lived recently in Gulport, Mississippi, Gibson said that Gulport is close to New Orleans:
"just across the tracks." (HSB)

Asked for his advice to others, Gibson said:
"Stay off the (side) streets, know what your surroundings are. And if it's a female, make sure it's a female." (HSB)

About how he's been having Jake Patek return slowly from injury, with the reps going to Dane Porlas and Spencer Smith, GM said:
"We're just letting Jake get his legs back." (HSB)

Victor Clore acknowledged that he can't play in the Sugar Bowl, but says:
"I'm just hoping they might let me suit up." (HSB)

About how his tender hamstring felt OK after practice yesterday, Brad Kalilimoku said:
"I'm easing my back since we have some time." (HSB)

About his alma mater Katy High, Texas 5A champsions this year that were led by Warrior QB commit Bo Mitchell, Ryan Mouton said:
"It's got a pretty good tradition. We've won (five) state titles. Won district 14 years in a row. We pretty much go deep in the playoffs. There are six (playoff) games including the state championship every year. If we don't go at least third or fourth round that's a bad year for us." (HSB)

Asked where Colt's line was, by 12:10pm Neal Sakamoto, chief of campus security was saying:
"Offense is on the right, defense is on the left. Colt's line is up the hill, but I think it's too long already — you probably won't make the one hour because he's leaving right at 1 o'clock." (HA)


About how she stood in line in the heat and rain and didn't get an autograph, Ronette Kawakami, 48, of Niu Valley said:
"This is just another disaster in a string of disasters. This is just a huge disappointment. The players are wonderful. The coaches are great. But the athletics department has mismanaged yet another event." (HA)

About how their autograph session demand was unprecedented, John McNamara said:
"When you have a limited amount of time and an incredible number of people, there's going to be folks who are going to be very happy and some who didn't get what they came out for." (HA)

"I thought it was great for (coach June Jones) and the players to have an event one last time before the Sugar Bowl. Its because of the incredibly popularity of this team, it's really impossible to accommodate everybody." (HSB)

Note that each person was only supposed to get 1 thing signed and the line wasn't supposed to form until 10am:
HSB Note: "Some fans who lined up at 8 a.m., two hours before a line was supposed to have started, couldn't even get to Brennan. That's why Alvin Jamikawa, 50, of Palolo went to the gate at about 3 a.m. When Jamikawa and two of his co-workers arrived, the campus was empty save for a few patrolling security guards. He parked off campus and walked in, reserving the first spot in the line. The line grew exponentially from three to thousands by 10 a.m. Even when the gates opened and the autographs began, the line didn't seem to get any shorter. It was definitely the longest line Jamikawa has ever seen. "I mean, just look at it, jeez!" he said, after getting a helmet, book and T-shirt signed by Brennan, the star quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist. "It's incredible." "

About the SuperDome, Rich Miano said:
"We always called it the 'Eighth Wonder of the World.' Historically, it was always more about the facility than the team that played there. Walking in there, the thing that struck you was just how immense it is." (HA)


Paul Arnett seems to think that JJ would go to the NFL if any NFL team wanted him:
"June Jones has been in big games before. He has stood on countless NFL sidelines and survived the blinding sheen of that spotlight. And truth be told, he'd return to that stage in a moment's notice if ever asked to come home again." (HSB)